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Category Archives: Fitness
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PSA: Fitbits, Apple Watches, and More Fitness Trackers Are on Sale Right Now
The extensive selection of fitness trackers on the market means that tracking your step count, sleep quality, and daily activity has never been easier. From Fitbit to Garmin to the Apple Watch, these wearable trackers put tons of additional insights about your health right at your fingertips. But considering that some of the newest fitness tracker models cost hundreds of dollars (they have all the bells and whistles), finding the best deals on fitness trackers—and taking advantage of sale prices while they’re available—is a must. Luckily, Amazon Prime Day 2019 is finally here, and with it comes plenty of opportunities to save money (and increase your step count at the same time).
Rivaled only by Black Friday, this massive online sale is the ideal time to upgrade your health and wellness game with deals on everything from anti-aging skincare to comfortable sneakers to the best leggings for your next workout. The annual event is only open to Prime members with access to exclusive deals for 48 hours, including 6-hour lightning deals and celeb-backed sales. If you’re not an Amazon Prime member yet but don’t want to miss out on these top-notch savings, don’t fret—all you have to do to access the deals is sign up for a free, 30-day trial here. How’s that for a bargain?
RELATED: The Very Best Health and Wellness Deals in Today’s Amazon Prime Day Sale
With so many brands and models of fitness trackers on sale for the next two days, the hardest part will be deciding which tracker to buy. Garmin’s Forerunner 35 is a best-selling GPS watch suited to runners hoping to plot out their racecourse, while Fitbit’s waterproof Inspire HR is great for gym goers who want to track their workouts without any extra steps (it’s also an Amazon’s choice recommendation). There’s even rare discounts on Apple watches!
While we can’t make the choice for you, we can make your shopping experience just a little bit easier by pulling together all of the best fitness tracker deals into one place. So check out our choices, below, and be sure to add them to your cart ASAP—it would be a shame if they sold out!
RELATED: Alo Yoga, Gaiam, and More Trendy Leggings Brands Are on Major Sale Now for Prime Day
Best Fitness Trackers on Sale Now
Apple Watch Series 3 ($169, marked down from $279)
Fitbit Versa Smart Watch ($163, marked down from $199)
Garmin Forerunner 35 Easy-to-Use Running Watch ($90, marked down from $170)
Fitbit Alta HR ($80, marked down from $130)
LETSCOM Fitness Tracker ($30, marked down from $36)
MorePro Smart Watch ($72, marked down from $90)
Garmin Forerunner 645 with Music ($399, marked down from $450)
Lintelek Slim Fitness Tracker ($30, marked down from $40)
Garmin vívoactive 3 GPS Smartwatch ($150, marked down from $250)
BingoFit Fitness Tracker ($32, marked down from $42)
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Influencer Nina Lacher Made the Most Hilarious ‘Workout’ Video to Prep for the Nordstrom Sale
It’s that time of year again—the annual Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is back, and the deals are hotter than ever. In fact, they’re so hot that influencer Nina Lacher broke out her sweat bands and did some extra cardio to get ready to shop for her life.
In an LOL-worthy video that the fashion blogger posted to her Instagram this week, Lacher runs around what appears to be her apartment building doing pushups, running up stairs, and, of course, handing off her credit card and yelling “Charge it!” when she finishes a set.
RELATED: Nordstrom's Huge Half-Yearly Sale Is Here! These Are the Only Items Worth Shopping
“And Jeff thought I wouldn’t get use out of my new exercise clothes,” she wrote in the caption. “Can’t wait to show you guys what I got from the Nordstrom Anniversary sale but until then, this is all I can show you. ARE YOU READY?!”
Seriously, are you? The sale has two phases. Early access starts today at 12:30 p.m. EST, but only Nordstrom card members are eligible. Everyone else can start shopping on Friday, July 19 at 12:30 p.m. EST. The deals last through Sunday, August 4.
We can’t wait to see Lacher’s picks from the sale, but until then, we’ve rounded up a few of our own workout gear favorites for all of you who are racing to snag the discounts early.
RELATED: The 19 Best Places to Buy Workout Clothes
For leggings, we’re loving these Alo High Waist Moto Leggings ($76, marked down from $114). Pair them with this Alo Yoga Bra ($36, marked down from $54) to make a set that’s sure to turn heads.
These SPANX Active Bike Shorts ($40, marked down from $62) are as comfy as they come, and this Zella Splits Ribbed Tank ($26, marked down from $39) is the perfect thing to pair them with.
Lastly, but certainly not least, complete any look with these Nike Free TR 8 Premium Training Shoes ($75, marked down from $100). Now get ready, get set, go shop!
RELATED: The 18 Best Running Shoes for Women, According to a Fitness Editor
This Dumbbell HIIT Workout Will Burn Out Your Arms and Abs
Biceps curls are a solid OG move on their own, and burpees are already tough AF, so why combine them for a dumbbell burpee and biceps curl?! Well, a. why not? But mostly b. because compound exercises like this give you the bigger bang for your buck. If you want the sciencey version: Compound exercises work multiple muscle groups and move multiple joint levers (think your knee and hip) so they help build overall strength quicker than isometric or single muscle-group exercises, and most importantly, get your heart rate up. Essentially, you're combining strength and conditioning not just in your one workout, but in one exercise.
RELATED: 3 Dumbbell Moves You Might Be Getting Wrong—and the Exact Right Way to Do Them
Hannah Davis, C.S.C.S., and owner of Body By Hannah Studio in Cleveland, TN, created this insanely efficient dumbbell arms and abs workout by using four compound exercises that, when put together, will give you one complete, tough as nails, workout. By the end, your arms will be shaking and your core will be screaming, but victory is sweet (and so are those gains, girl)!
How it works: For each exercise, you'll work for 45 seconds, then rest for 30 before moving on to the next movement. Complete 3 rounds total.
What you'll need: A set of moderate-weight dumbbells
RELATED: This 30-Day Arms Challenge Will Transform Your Upper Body In Just 4 Weeks
Dumbbell Inchworm to Row
A. Holding a dumbbell in each hand, from standing, place hands on floor in front of you and slowly walk hands (still grasping weights) out until you reach a high plank position.
B. Row right arm back, then left before walking your hands back to feet to come to standing.
Runner Switch with Press
A. Start in plank position holding dumbbells. Quickly hop right foot outside right hand, leaving left leg extended behind you for a wide mountain climber stance.
B. Leaving left hand on ground, twist torso to right and press right arm, holding dumbbell up to sky.
C. Place hand back to ground, then quickly switch legs bringing left foot outside left hand, twist torso to left and press left arm up.
RELATED: 3 Dumbbell Moves People Always Get Wrong—and How to Fix Them
Dumbbell Burpee and Curl
A. Squat down, knees to chest with dumbbells in each hand on the floor. Jump back with both feet, landing in a high plank position. Perform one push-up.
B. Jump feet forward landing wide outside both hands, then stand.
C. Perform a hammer curl with palms facing in toward body.
Dumbbell Clean and Press
A. Stand with dumbbells in both hands at your sides. Hinge at the hips and bring arms back behind you. Quickly swing them forward and up to chest with palms facing in as you return to standing, squeezing glutes as you do so.
B. With a slight bend in your knees, push through heels as you press dumbbells directly up overhead.
RELATED: 3 Quick Triceps Exercises for Sculpted Arms
Full-Body Get-Up
A. Lie on your back with knees bent, feet on floor, and the ends of one dumbbell in both hands; arms stretched above head and behind you on floor.
B. In one swift movement, swing arms up overhead and forward passed your knees, push through heels and come to standing with dumbbell at chest level.
C. Press weight up overhead then return to chest before reversing movement, sitting on ground and uncurling spine to return to starting position.
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This article originally appeared on Shape.com
A Simple Belly-Blasting Workout
I Worked Out With Ashley Graham—and My Abs Were on Fire
One of the many cool perks of my job here at Health is the chance to try out challenging yet fun new fitness classes. This time, I scored an invite from Olly to sweat alongside Ashley Graham and her personal trainer, Kira Stokes. To say I was a little excited is an understatement. But I was also super nervous that this workout was going to kick my butt.
We met up at Equinox’s boutique fitness studio, PROJECT by Equinox, in New York City. I had a few moments before the workout to chat with Graham about her fitness routine. While she prefers one-on-one training with Stokes, her current favorite class is aerial yoga. “It strengthens your upper back and OMG, it works your core too,” raved Graham. What workout could she live without? “I hate anything about burpees, I hate jumping.” I can relate.
RELATED: Ashley Graham Opens Up About Why She's Not Afraid to Show Her Stretch Marks on Social Media
I also asked her about her self-care routine. Her beauty must-haves are Olly Undeniable Beauty Vitamins for hair, nails, and skin. She's also a fan of rosewater spray. “If I don’t have moisturizer and I’m just feeling dry, I just spray that everywhere,” she told me.
After our chat, we joined the rest of the class (about 10 of us total) in the studio and got right into the warmup. Stokes had us practice deep breathing while we opened up our hips with a deep sumo squat. With each squat, we would bend forward and then roll upwards, concentrating on one vertebra at a time as we segued into a standing position. We did this about 10 times before moving on to air squats and a variation of plank exercises. To feel fully stretched out, we completed this warmup circuit twice, and my muscles were already burning.
Stokes explained that the next two circuits were inspired by her Stoked 360 series, and they would focus on building strength and power in the cardio core and upper body using bodyweight strength isolation. We would do each circuit three times, non-stop. She wasn’t kidding.
The first circuit started with a squat/shoulder press/triceps extension combo using 5-lb. weights. We held the weights just above our shoulders on the squat down, and as we came up, we pushed our arms up into a shoulder press and then bent them at the elbows behind our heads for the triceps extension.
RELATED: This Photo of Ashley Graham in a Bikini Eating Cheetos Is the Most Relatable Thing Ever
This is one of those moves that feels easy the first few reps, and then suddenly your arms start turn to Jell-O. Still, I made a mental note to add it to my regular workout routine. I looked over at Graham, and she came off as focused, practicing deep breaths with each arm extension.
The rest of circuit 1 consisted of squat jumps, mountain climbers, and push-ups while bringing one knee across the body to engage the core. We started again with the squat/arm exercise and did this circuit two more times before jumping into circuit 2.
The second circuit started off with one of my favorite moves from the class. Holding 5-lb. weights, we went into a sumo squat with our arms straight down between our legs and then swung up into a rear delt fly power position stance. Stokes explained that your body should form an X when upright in this position, with your legs and arms wide.
We then brought our arms back inward and down as we went back into the sumo squat. This move flowed well, was fun to do, and engaged the whole body. We then did sumo squat jumps moving forward and back, followed by butt kicks (Stokes says these are meant to work the quads).
After the kicks, we moved into a quadruped position with our knees slightly lifted off the floor—I could feel my ab muscles immediately engage. In this position, we then did cross hand-to-knee touches, raising the knee a bit off the ground while keeping our hips stable. Next, we got into a downward dog pose to do triceps pushups, tapping opposite hand to shin after each push-up. These were creative moves I definitely had not done before, and my abs were feeling it.
One of the things Graham mentioned before the workout was that she wasn’t ashamed to listen to her body and make adjustments if something felt too painful or unsafe. I kept this in mind and tried to tune in to my body for each exercise; even though Graham was killing the workout, it was nice to know she makes modifications, too.
By the time we moved on to the third circuit, I was sweating hard; I'd already done more full body exercises than I was used to—but I was excited. Stokes was encouraging and energetic, and she managed to be motivating without being overwhelming. Her fun, creative moves kept the class light-hearted and interesting.
Circuit 3 was different from the first two because ia resistance band stayed on the entire time. We only repeated this circuit twice due to time restraints (the 45-minute class was about to hit the one hour mark), although Stokes said she would have preferred three times.
We placed the band around our knees and started band tap outs in a squat position, focusing on the gluteus medius, or the upper outer/back portion of the thigh. From there, we did air squats with the band, holding in the squat position for a few seconds for each rep. We then moved the band to our ankles to do tap backs, which focused on the gluteus maximus (can someone say booty gains?!).
With the band still around our ankles, we moved into a plank position and did more tap outs: right then left, followed by two high to low plank up and downs. This move hurt, especially after the abs, arms, and butt exercises we had already been doing.
The workout wrapped up with a fine-tuning portion, which Stokes commented is Graham’s favorite part because that means it’s almost over (LOL, same.) Stokes said fine-tuning is “like the icing on the cake. It ties everything together and completely fatigues the focus muscle groups of the workout.” We covered every muscle we had already worked, from shoulders and triceps to glutes to abs.
One move in particular was from the glutes series; on all fours, we placed a light weight in the crook of the knee and then did donkey kicks while squeezing the weight and flexing our foot. Try it yourself, and if your butt wasn’t already on fire, it would be after this.
RELATED: This 30-Day Bodyweight Challenge Will Tone and Tighten Your Entire Body
Stokes ended the workout with her signature closing mantra: “Take a moment to be grateful for the ability to move and challenge your body as you did this morning, as it’s truly a gift. Take one final moment to think of any person, place, or thing that makes you the absolute happiest. Open your eyes, shake out those positive vibes, send them into the universe, and leave with an open mind, open heart, fully stoked.”
After the workout, I was definitely sore and sweaty, but I was also noticeably more energetic and upbeat for the rest of the day. The class was tough, but it kept me challenged and focused with new and unexpected moves throughout the hour; I felt like my mind was just as engaged as my core.
Physically, I could tell I had worked new muscles in my butt (especially the next day). I also felt more motivated during my regular gym sessions for the rest of the week and even incorporated resistance bands into my workouts! If this is how Ashley Graham feels every day, I may have to splurge for weekly Stoked 360 classes.
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Health24.com | How to get the jiggle out: 3 exercises to tone your upper arms
Getting your upper arms in shape is a worthy ambition in any season, and the triceps are the muscles to target for a sleek look.
Toning them can be a challenge, but the “triceps extension” and variations of this key strength training move make up the core of an effective training routine.
Triceps variations
For the basic triceps extension, lie flat on a mat with knees bent and hip-width apart or on a weight bench with feet flat on the floor in front of you. Hold the ends of a dumbbell or the handles of a weighted ball with both hands. Lift arms straight up to the ceiling. From this position, and without moving the upper arms, bend elbows to bring the weight toward your forehead until arms make a 90-degree angle. With control, straighten arms. Repeat.
For the first variation, from the same starting position, hold a dumbbell in each hand. Raise arms straight up to the ceiling, with palms facing away from you. Again, moving only your forearms, bend elbows until upper arms and forearms make a 90-degree angle. With control, straighten arms, but before you lower them again, rotate your wrists so that palms are facing you as you lower your forearms. Straighten arms and continue to reverse the position of your wrists with each rep.
For the second variation, from the same starting position and with a dumbbell in each hand, raise arms straight up to the ceiling. Again, moving only your forearms, bend elbows to lower the weights to the floor on either side of your head. Avoid moving your shoulders. Straighten arms to return to start.
For each exercise, aim for three sets of up to 15 reps each. Start with a weight that allows you to do eight reps per set in good form. Once you can complete 15 reps per set before reaching muscle failure, increase the weight.
Image credit: iStock
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